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By Oscar Okhifo
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has urged President Bola Tinubu to release the forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which allegedly indicted wife of Ex- Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, Judith of involvement in N48 billion contract scandal.
According to Wike, Judith Amaechi was the recipient of a contract to train Niger Delta women at N4bn a month, in one calender year.
Speaking during Friday evening’s Special Politics Today program on Channels Television, Wike also alleged that former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami helped to cover up the report.
Wike vowed to leave his ministerial assignment if the report turned out otherwise, noting that the said training was how Amaechi’s wife became a supposed industrialist.
Wike made the revelation in response to Amaechi’s claim that his presidential bid was funded by his wife, who was an industrialist.
Brambaifa, a pawn of Amaechi was appointed Acting MD of NDDC in January 2019. He was sacked in August of 2019 following allegations of corruption in NDDC under his leadership.
Sources at the NDDC conversant with the deal had told Pointblanknews.com in 2021 that Mrs. Amaechi through her Non for profit organization,
Empowerment Support Initiatives, ESI, received a N70billion contract from the agency to train Niger Deltans in skills such as Tailoring, Soap making, Carpentry and others.
After the award of contract to ESI, sources told Pointblanknews.com that Mrs Amaechi’s wife received N48billion.
Mrs. Amaechi’s ESI said it trained over 2000 women and youths drawn from the 23 LGAs of Rivers State and non-indigenes in COLD PROCCES SOAP MAKING, trained 100 women drawn from the 23 LGAs Rivers State in elaborate fashion Designing in the following areas: Patterns and cuttings, Sewing, Finishing, Fashion and Designing, Colours, Packing,
General Management of Business.
Reacting to Amaechi’s claims that his wife sponsored his presidential election, Wike said, “‘First of all, Amaechi’s wife was not an Industrialist, has never been. The best I know, and that’s why I call on Mr. President to release a forensic audit of NDDC. Through Amaechi’s wife’s company, every month, N4bn to train Niger Delta women for one year, that is N48bn was released. The forensic audit report is there, who killed it? It was Malami, the Attorney General then.
“Mr President should help Nigerians, please release the forensic audit of the NDDC. N4bn a month to train Niger Delta women? N4bn? I have said let Mr. President please do us a favour to release that document. Mr President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Attorney General Malami killed that document to protect those who were concerned.
“All I’m saying, let them release the document. If what I’m saying is not in the document, I will resign as the Minister of the FCT. I said, I will resign. I don’t worship office. What I’m saying, let them release the audit of the NDDC. I didn’t say the forensic audit was right, that’s why I said release the report of the forensic audit. That’s how the wife became an Industrialist. N4bn every month to train Niger Delta women,” the Minister stated.
Wike also alleged that Amaechi’s wife also got contracts from the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.
In his words, Amaechi has loyalists in both institutions who gave contracts to his wife, arguing that the former Minister’s wife is not an industrialist as he had claimed.
“I watched him say that NPA and NIMASA, don’t pay contractors. Yes, he knows that because because they have not paid his wife who is a contractor in NPA and NIMASA, at the moment. That’s why he knew.
“How would I not know? He put as DG in NIMASA, Peter Dakuku, whom I defeated in the 2015 election. Then he took his boy Koko, who was his account officer in Zenith Bank, and made him Executive Director of Finance, and then put him as Managing Director.
“Therefore, he’s eligible to know when NPA and NIMASA do not pay, he knows that. Who owns those contracts he’s talking about? The wife. It’s unfortunate. I watched him, how can a man at that level talk about this?” the FCT Minister asked.